The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-16


debris. which were loaded upon fiat cars this
morning and brought to the city. large force
of policemen guarded the scene and kept the
curious from entering the lines, and thus the
laborers had sufficient opportunity to carry on
their labor unimpeded. Ropes were stretched
along the track, and all persons who were not
actively engaged in clearing away the wreck
were forced to keep outside the line.
AT an early hour more laborers reinforced the
tired men who had swung the ak and pulled and
tugged on doors and other portions of the
wrecked cars. and a large force wassput at work
in taking the broken bridge apart The baggage
car and one of the rear cars of the train had
been completely demolished, and all that marks
the spot where these two cars were at the base
of the embankment is heap Of kindling- wood.
some OF which has the appearance of having
been through grain-hopper and bolted, so fine
was the wood crushed The wreck is a more
appalling sight than the recent ruins at White
River junction and Deer6eld, and this points
strongly to the fact that the train was running
at speed of fully twenty-fy miles an hour
The forward cars, which lie on the embankment
and in the roadway, remain in the same position
as when they fell. There were undoubtedly
nine cars IN the train as the tin tops Of nine
cars were found, but the remains Of two Of the
cars are in such a state of demolition that it is
impossible to discern whether there we're two
cars or one. This was caused by the tall down
the embankment, and consequently the rumor
has prevailed that there were but eight cars in
have been removed, and in every case the iron
cxxhi oh 81 l,o!l %I,~~, havyo
been found to be secure while not stove-door
was burst open, although one stove was badly
broken.
Shortly after daylight there began to be a
constant stream of visitors to the scene, and be-
fore T. o'clock several hundred persons had
looked upon the frightful evidence of the dis
aster. Everybody who visited the scene carried
away portions of the wreckage mementoes.
At 10 o'clock Railroad Commissioner Kinsley
arrived on the scene and made a tour of the en-
bankments, with view to investigating the
cause Of the accident Chief Engineer Davis, of
the Boston & Providence railroad, says it is i'm
possible to tell when the wreckage can be suff-
cently removed to allow of the erection of a
structure which will permit the resumption of
traffic over that raute. A permanent bridge will
find it convenient to do SO. The preparations
for the temporary bridge being pushed with
all possible speed, and traffic will be resumed
very shortly, but further than this it is impossi
BILE to state.
Professor Vose Of the Institute of Technol-
ogy, one of the most competent bridge engineers
in New Epgland, in an interview, saye: II was
| at the scene of the accident all day yesterday,
together with number of members of the Mas
sachusetts Scientific Society and institute stu
dents, examining the bridge, or rather the pieces
thereof. and don't know the exact cause Of the
accident. I would not dare venture opinion.
can onfsS say that / have examined pieces o!
the iron, and have an idea that some was de-
fective. However, don't wish to condemn any
one unit. the truth is known. The railroad
officers nave given rs permission to bring into
the city all pieces of the bridge, examination
of which, / think, will give some light on the
cause of the disaster. l am now going to find
out if possible, just what the cause of the dis
| aster was"
| Professor Swain, also of the institute who
| made an examination of the wrecked bridge,
| discovered what he considers to have been the
| cause Of the accident. He thinks there were
| serious defects in some portions of the bridge,
not only in the material used, but in the manner
| of construction.
| Superintendent Davis, in an interview this
morning, says: THE many stories hoating
| about and now being published as to the safety
of the Bussey bridge are, to say the least, very
| discreditable as coming from an intelligent pub
| lie. They are utterly without foundation. and
come from persons who really know NOTHING
about it, but who are willing, for the sake of ap
pearing wise, to damage the reputation and
| standing of any concern, whether it be a rail
bridge was built of iron, clever
years ago. and was as fully capable
| of sustaining any weight that had been put
| upon it since that time any bridge on the
| road. The bridge inspector of the road has ha6
no reason whatever to suspect or believe thai
| there was any defect or weakness in any part o
| the bridge. He is as thoroughly capable anG
| conversant with such matters as any man in the
country. and inspects all the bridges on the
road, this one as we'll as the Others three or foul
| times year, and had made recent and close
| examination OF this particular bridge He was
not aware. UP to the time of the accident of any
| weakness or defect whatever. | understand tina,
| several other competent mechanics examined
| the ruins yesterday. and so far utterly igno
! rant Of the cause of the accident. AS far as
| know, the management has never had any com
| plant made as to the safety of the bridge.
| Martin Lynch, sub-foreman of the West Kox
| bury paving department, was at work, yesterday
| morning with gang Of five men. cutting will
| lows. The party stationed $50 feet from
| the bridge, and every man had an AK. Mr.
| Lynch said, this morning: 1--WE had just begur
our work. | saw the train coming and stopped
to look at it. I saw it 90 on the bridge, and no
ticed that the train was acting queer The en-
gine and three cars were across. but the Who'll,
| train was shaking and swaying most violently
then, just as the fourth half tn,
bridge and half on the embankment on the othe
| side. the bridge went down. The fifth ca
plunged down with it. and in its fall dragged
back and down into the pit below the fourth car
| which, as l have said, was already half way OF
| the bank. The car behind the fifth car cam
plunging and crashing down upon it, and thu
| it went down the embankment. My God th
bridge is down! Run, boys, and take you
axes yelled. / started as fast a
1 could 60. and they with me
It was an awful sight sucl
struggling, and signing, and moanin,
! never heard in all my life Some of the pas